National Ice Cream Day

Today is National Ice Cream Day!

Ice cream is a sweet treat enjoyed all over the world. Ice cream is typically made by taking milk or cream, mixing it with a sweetener (like sugar), a spice (like cocoa), or certain fruits. Many things have been used to make ice cream. heck, they've made bacon-flavored ice cream. I actually have a morbid interest in trying it.

The origins of ice cream have been rather hard to trace. One origin is in ancient Persia around 550 BC. Back then, the Persians had come up with techniques for storing and using ice that led to them not only creating frozen desserts but also having chilled drinks with ice. An ancient Roman cookbook dating from the 1st century AD has recipes for sweet deeserts sprinkled with snow. And Heian period-era Japan originated Kakigori, a dessert made by putting flavored syrup on shaved ice. In 16th century Asia, the Mughal Empire would use ice from the Hindu Kush mountains to create kulfi, which has become known as traditional Indian ice cream. Yes, the desire for sweet cold treats is an old and rather universal one. 

Ice cream's spread through Europe is often accredited to explorer Marco Polo. It wasn't mentioned in his writings, but it was believed he witnessed sorbet-style treats being made in China. The first mention of ice cream in England was made in 1671 by politician Elias Ashmole in his description of the dishes being served at the Feast of St. George.

It's not known how ice cream was brought to the American colonies, but it is known that cities like New York had shops that served it. Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson were fans of the sweet treat. In fact, Jefferson was erroneously credited for introducing ice cream to the US. Jefferson did introduce vanilla-flavored ice cream, and had an 18-step recipe for making ice cream.

As time went on, ice cream became more accessible to the common man. The 1870s saw the invention of the ice cream soda. The late 19th century would see the birth of the ice cream sundae. The 20th century would see the rise in popularity of ice cream parlors as cheap refrigeration became more common. This century also saw the birth of "soft serve" ice cream.

So, how did this day come about? Well, you can thank Ronald Reagan. Yeah. In 1984, he wanted to commemorate the popular treat, so this came about. Americans consume about 23 gallons of ice cream per year. But as I have shown, the love of the cool treat crosses culture, country, and language. I think if there is one thing that can be described as universal alongside art, it's ice cream.

So treat yourself to a little bit of ice cream today! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and wish to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!